How do I revive dead hair follicles?

A:

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If hair follicles are truly dead, they cannot be revived. However, bald spots that exhibit little to no hair growth may still have some resting follicles that are still alive. In these cases, hair loss treatments, including topical solutions like minoxidil and finasteride, may help revive resting follicles, according to Mayo Clinic. Depending on the underlying medical cause, massage and medications can be used to treat baldness.

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Since topical treatments do not revive dead hair follicles, surgical intervention is needed to restore hair growth. Mayo Clinic suggests hair transplants and scalp reduction to replace or remove dead follicles and restore hair growth to bald areas, although it states that these procedures come with high costs and potential risks. Many people with permanent hair loss also wear hairpieces or wigs to camouflage thin spots.

According to Mail Online, scientists recently discovered a way to grow hair follicles from stem cells. While the experiment shows some hope for the future, it was conducted using mice and still needs to be adapted for humans. Currently, there are no techniques that can revive dead hair follicles in humans. Additionally, the experiment only successfully produced hair follicles; it did not successfully produce new dermal papillae, a component necessary for hair growth.